Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yoottawa’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yoottawa’, characterized by its uniform and outwardly spreading plant habit; strong and freely branching growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform flowering response and habit; can be grown as a disbud or as a spray-type; early flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; white-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about four to five weeks in an interior environment.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemum×morifoliumcultivar Yoottawa.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yoottawa’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Fort Myers, Fla. Theobjective of the program is to create or discover new pottedChrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production withuniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit,numerous inflorescences, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors,fast and uniform flowering reponse, and good postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in January, 2000, in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietaryChrysanthemum seedling selection identified as code number YB-A0238, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietaryChrysanthemum seedling selection identified as code number YB-A0161, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor in November 2000, as a singleflowering plant from within the resulting progeny of the statedcross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Fort Myers, Fla.

The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit,good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences,desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniformflowering response, and good postproduction longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttingswas first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in March, 2001. Asexualreproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this newChrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yoottawa has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or lightlevel, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Yoottawa’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Yoottawa’as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Uniform and outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Strong and freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   4. Uniform flowering response and habit.    -   5. Can be grown as a disbud or as a spray-type.    -   6. Early flowering, 7.5 week response time.    -   7. Decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong- shaped        ray florets.    -   8. White-colored ray florets.    -   9. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good        substance and color for about four to five weeks in an interior        environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the femaleparent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants ofthe female parent selection primarily in branching habit as plants ofthe female parent selection are not as freely branching as plants of thenew Chrysanthemum. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum havebetter inflorescence form retention than plants of the female parentselection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the maleparent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants ofthe male parent selection primarily in ray floret coloration as plantsof the male parent selection have ivory white-colored ray florets. Inaddition, inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum have few tono disc florets whereas inflorescences of plants of the male parentselection have numerous disc florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of thecultivar Surf, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,585. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Fort Myers, Fla., plants of the newChrysanthemum differed from plant of the cultivar Surf in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences        than plants of the cultivar Surf.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three to four        days earlier than plants of the cultivar Surf.    -   3. Under low temperatures, ray florets of plants of the new        Chrysanthemum did not “pink” whereas ray florets of plants of        the cultivar Surf “pinked”.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newChrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view oftypical flowering plants of ‘Yoottawa’ grown as spray-types.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typicalinflorescences of ‘Yoottawa’ grown as spray-types.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotographs, following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown and flowered during the autumn in Salinas, Calif., in afiberglass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which approximatethose generally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemum production.During the production of these plants, the following conditions weremeasured: day temperatures, 21 to 27° C.; night temperatures, 17 to 19°C.; and light levels, 5,000 to 6,000 foot-candles. Four unrootedcuttings were directly stuck in 15-cm containers, exposed to longday/short night conditions, and pinched once about two weeks later. Atthe time of the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long nighttreatments were initiated. Plants used for the description were grown asspray-types. Measurements and numerical values represent avarages oftypical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar    Yoottawa.-   Commercial classification: Decorative-type potted Chrysanthemum.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary            Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as            code number YB-A0238, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary            Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as            code number YB-A0161, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten days at 21° C.        -   Root description.—White, close to 155D; fibrous.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type potted Chrysanthemum            that can be grown as a spray or as a disbud-typed. Upright            with lateral branches outwardly spreading; uniformly mounded            crown. Strong and freely branching growth habit; about four            lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex            (pinching); dense and full plants.        -   Plant height.—About 27 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 40 cm.        -   Lateral branches. —Length: About 21 cm. Diameter: About            4.5 mm. Internode length: About 2.5 cm. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arragement: Alternate; simple. Length:            About 7.9 cm. Width: About 5.7 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:            Truncate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral            lobes mostly divergent. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Pubescent. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: Close            to 147A. Developing foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B.            Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: More green than 147A.            Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B.            Venation, upper surface: Close to 147A to 147B. Venation,            lower surface: Close to 147B. Petiole length: About 2.4 cm.            Petiole diameter: About 2.5 mm. Petiole color, upper            surface: Close to 147A to 147B. Petiole color, lower            surface: Close to 147B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with            elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on            terminals above foliage. Disk and ray florets develop            acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences not fragrant.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower            in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other            times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development            can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at            least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early flowering; plants            exposed to two weeks of long day/short night conditions            followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions            flower about 7.5 weeks later.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about four to five weeks in an interior            environment.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Grown as a spray-type, about            seven inflorescences develop per lateral branch.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm.            Shape: Oblate. Color: More green than 144A.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 6.3 cm.        -   Inflorescence depth (height).—About 2.5 cm.        -   Diameter of disc.—If disc florets develop, about 3 mm.        -   Receptacle diameter.—About 6 mm.        -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Orientation: Initially            upright, eventually perpendicular to the peduncle. Aspect:            Incurved to straight. Length: About 3.2 cm. Width: About            1.1 cm. Corolla tube length: About 4 mm. Corolla tube            diameter: About 2 mm. Apex: Acute or emarginate. Base: Fused            into a corolla tube. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; Satiny. Number of ray            florets per inflorescence: About 170 arranged in numerous            whorls. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper suface:            Close to 155D. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:            Close to 155D.        -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.            Shape: Tubular. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About 6 mm.            Diameter, apex: About 1.5 mm. Diameter, base: About 1 mm.            Number of disc florets per inflorescence: Less than 10; disc            florets may not develop. Color: Immature: Close to 144A.            Mature, apex: 9A. Mature, mid-section and base: Close to            155D.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 22. Length:            About 1 cm. Width: About 3.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:            Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            surface: Waxy, smooth. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent.            Color, upper surface: More green than 144A. Color, lower            surface: Close to 146A.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal penduncle: About 3.3 cm. Length,            fourth peduncle: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength:            Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A to 146A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Anther color: Close to 12A. Pollen amount: None            observed. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.            Style color: Close to 144B to 144C. Stigma color: Close to            9A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under    commercial greenhouse conditions.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named‘Yoottawa’,as illustrated and described.